Improvement in traps for insects



F. G. FOWLER. Improvement in Traps for Insects.

N0. 132 067. Patented 0 ct.8,1872.

Fig-.3. F192 F1g.3.

. I I q I v a WITNESSES: INVENTORZ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK Gr. FOWLER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN I'RAPS FOR INSECTS.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,067, datedOctober 8, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK G. FOWLER, of

Bridgeport, in the county'of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and Improved Insect-Trap; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing and letters of reference marked thereonmaking a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a sideelevation of the handle of my invention, with some details of the same;Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my inven tion; and Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section of the same.

This invention is a device for the destruction of insects, moreparticularly mosquitoes. It consists of a tube or barrel provided with apiston-rod and piston, behind which a spiral spring is coiled. On theouter end of this piston-rod is attached a pad formed of sponge or othersoft material. The tube is mounted on a handle of sufficient length toreach the walls of any portion of a room where it may be used. A cord isattached to the'pistonrod, and passes down through the spiral spring andbetween two sheaves to the operator, who, by pulling the string, drawsin the piston-rod and compresses the spring, and by letting go thestring the recoil of the spring suddenly forces out the piston-rod andthe pad, and with sufficient force to strike a blow on the wall anddestroy a mosquito or other insect against which it maybe directed. Thetube is attached to the handle by a hinge or joint, so that it can beturned to any angle and made to strike a blow square to thewall orsurface upon which the insect may be perched. and the pad, being of asoft material, will produce the desired efi'ect without crushing themosquito and staining the wall.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, 1 willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

The barrel is represented by a, and it is provided at one end with thecap or guide g. Adjacent to this, and within the tube, is a cushion, 4,made of rubber or other elastic material. Atthe opposite end of the tubeis the spiral spring 8, and between the spring and cushion r is thepiston to, which is secured to the piston-rod a. This rod on its outerend is provided with a pad formed of a disk of metal and faced withsponge or other soft material, and the rodis terminated at its other endby the eye 0. To this eye is attached a cord, Z, which passes downthrough the spring 8, and between the sheaves an, and through the eyeto, which is attached to the handle H, and is terminated by the knob k.The handle H may be of any desired length and made in pieces and joinedby tenons and ferrules, so that it can be taken apart and packed in asmall compass. The barrel a is attached to the handle H by a hingedjoint,

h, which permits it to be turned in any direction,'and it will thenremain in that position from the friction of the hinge, and in that casethe cord will pass freely over the sheaves a. To the hinges h the tubest may be attached-.-

The operation is as follows: It is taken in the hand of the operator,and the knob is is pulled, so that the rod is drawn into the barrel andthe spring compressed.- It is then aimed at the insect it is desired todestroy, the pad being brought to a distance less than the stroke of therod from the insect. The knob is then released, and the recoil of thespring suddenly forces the rod out, the pad striking the insect andcausing its death, but without crushing it, on account of the yieldingnature of the pad. Should the position of the operator be such that thebarrel is not perpendicular to the wall it should be deflected at thehinged joint, so that the surface of the pad will be parallel to thewall or other surface upon which the insect may be perched.

What I claim as new and useful, and wish to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. The barrel a, piston a, rod a, spring s, and guide g, arrangedand operating in the manner and forthe purpose substantially asdescribed.

2. The disk d and pad 00, arranged as specified.

3. The cord I, eye to, knob 70, and handle H, arranged in the manner andfor the purpose substantially as shown.

4. The hinge h, sheaves a, arranged and operatin g as shown.

5. The cushion r and eye 0, arranged substantially as specified.

FRANK Gr. FOWLER.

Witnesses:

E. B. Srnvnns, J OHN STEVENS.

